letters
BETW EEN
FRIENDS
\
or most of my life, Fve dreamed of
having a house by the water. So far,
Fve never managed to make it a
reality. The closest we’ve ever come
was a small house we lived in a few
years back, with a sliver of water
view. When—and only when—the
leaves were fully off the trees, I could go to the back
deck, place a lounge chair just so, and catch a distant
glimpse of the Raccoon River turning a bend. It was
a nice spot for a quiet moment on a late fall after-
noon—as long as I didn’t move the chair. But it didn’t
deliver a true waterfront experience. That’s still a
someday dream.
Most of us have “someday” dreams, I suspect,
and perhaps that’s why I’m so captivated by this
month’s feature, “Gone Fishin’” on
page 72.
It’s a
story about four families who made their interest in
waterfront living come to fruition in a highly original
way. While on a summer outing, and quite by
accident, they came upon a long-defunct fish camp
with a motley lineup of shacks where fishermen
once bunked. Most people would have passed right
by it, but not them. Fast-forward to their happy
ending: a flat-out-charming summer camp just for
their families, complete with communal dining
lodge, dock, and a lifetime of sunsets by the water.
The sign at the front gate lists their names, but it may
as well read Memories Made Here.
Admittedly, it’s a large project, probably
larger in scale than you or I will ever try. But we
can all use a good inspirational story now and
then. And what I like about this one is that it’s all
about seeing the possibilities: The accidental
discovery. The vision of what it could be. The
repurposing of something old into something new
and smart. Those are concepts that
Better Homes
and Gardens
readers know and love well, whether
it’s an everyday project or a someday dream.
I may not have my house by the water right
now, but I’ve found plenty of outlets for my beach
yearnings: outings with the kayak, the display of
seashells (collected, not bought) on my dining room
table, or just a tall iced coffee on the deck. There’s no
water view— but a full-summer garden and a green
backwoods make a pretty good stand-in.
If you’ve got a great story of making a someday
dream a reality, please share at the address below.
Gayle Goodson Butler,
Editor in Chief
Just Peachy
Sweet corn and fresh tomatoes have their fans, but to
this Southern girl, nothing tastes like summer as much as a fresh, tree-
ripened peach. As a fruit to eat by hand, they're famously delicious. As an
ingredient for easy summer dinners, surprisingly versatile, as you'll see in
“50 Ways to Eat a Peach,"
p a g e
735. Enjoy
!— G a y le
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IO AUGUST 2010 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
H A IR A N D M A K EU P : M A R Y -K A T E G A L E S
